Clock



CLOCK Filed May 2, 1952 4 sheets-sneet` 1 WWW d July 3, 1934. A. w. FOWLER 1,965,141

CLOCK Filed May 2, 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 July 3, 1934. A, w. FowLER CLOCK Filed May 2, 1932 v 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 A. W. FOWLER July 3, 1934.

CLOCK Filed May '2, 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented July 3, 1934 PATENT OFFICE CLOCK Arno W. Fowler, Effingham, Ill.

Application May 2, 1932, Serial No. 608,599

3 Claims.

. 10 proved devices for controlling operation of the striking mechanism by an independent constantly energized motor, and means controlled by devices operated by said spring for controlling operation of said striking mechanism by said independent '15 motor.

Objects of the invention are to provide a clock embodying the improvements mentioned in order to improve generally the devices for winding the striking mechanism; to prevent overwinding of the clock by a device operated automatically and as an incident to the winding operation; and to provide numerous improvements in the striking mechanism.

Other objects of the invention are to provide the particular and special improvements in the different elements herein disclosed, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a clock embodying the present invention.

Fig; 2 is a rear elevation, a portion of the rear frame plate of the clock being removed.

Fig. 3 is a left side elevation of the clock mechanism. 135 Fig. 4 is a right side elevation of the clock mechanism.

Fig. 5 is a lower end plan View of the clock mechanism.

Fig. 6 is a detail View of the striking mecha- 40 nism locked against operation, the mechanism for operating the time indicating devices being omitted.

Fig. 7 is a similar View of the striking mechanism conditioned for operation, the parts being shown in the positions they occupy after operating to an extent and before completion of their operation.

Fig. 8 is a View with parts in section showing a portion of the devices for operating the striking mechanism, and a part of the devices for stopping and preventing operation of the striking mechamsm.

Fig. 9 is a view showing the winding mechanism for the main spring that operates the time indicating mechanism of the clock, and also showing the devices operated by the time indicating mechanism for controlling the striking mechanism.

Fig. 10 is an enlarged sectional View showing the devices for controlling operation of the wind- 50 ing mechanism by the constantly energized motor.

The gear wheel 1 which operates the time indicating mechanism is rigid on an elongated externa-ily threaded hub 2 mounted for rotation about a shaft 3 (Fig. 1o). The hub 2 and the 65* shaft 3 are capable of independent rotation, the hub being rotated by the main spring of the clock and the shaft being rotated independently of the hub to wind the main spring. The gear wheel 1 is attached to a spring barrel 4. The main spring which rotates the gear 1 and thereby the hub 2, is enclosed in the barrel 4 and has one end attached to said barrel by a fastener 6 and the opposite end attached to the shaft 3 by a fastener 7. This spring 5 is arranged to rotate 7b the gear wheel 1 and thereby the hub 2 around the shaft 3 while said shaft remains stationary. Said spring is wound intermittently by intermittent rotation of the shaft 3 and is thereby kept at approximately uniform tension. Should there be any interruption in the functioning or operating of the winding motor or the train of winding mechanism driven by the motor, this spring 5 will continue to rotate the gear Wheel and thereby operate the clock for a considerable duration of time.

A gear wheel 8 closes the end of the spring barrel 4 opposite the gear wheel 1 and is fastened to the shaft 3 so that, when said gear wheel 8 is rotated in the proper direction, the shaft 3 will 9o' be thereby rotated to wind the spring 5, the gear Wheel 1 being prevented from rotating with the gear wheel 8 by the train of gearing with which said gear wheel l is cooperatively entrained.

The gear wheel 8 is in constant mesh with a 9 pinion 9 attached to a rotary shaft 10, and an elongated pinion l1 of the same diameter and having the same number of teeth as the pinion 9 is attachedto said shaft 10 and is in constant mesh with a gear wheel l2 screwed on the exteriorly threaded hub. When the gear wheel 1 is rotated by the spring 5 to operate the clock, the exteriorly threaded hubk 2 is rotated by and with said wheel 1, but the gear wheel 12 cannot V rotate with the hub 2 because it is engaged with 10J the elongated pinion 11. This rotation of the threaded hub 2 by the gear wheel 1 during opera,- tion of the clock causes the gear Wheel 12 to move laterally along the hub 2 toward the right, as seen in Figs. 4 and 10.

Backward rotation of the gear wheel 8 is prevented by a pawl 13 pivoted on the clock frame and engaging the teeth of said wheel 8 (Fig. 9).

A gear wheel 14 attached to the shaft 10 is in constant mesh with a pinion 15 attached to the shaft 16. A gear wheel 17 attached to the shaft 16 meshes with a pinion 18 attached to a shaft 19. A gear wheel 20 attached to the shaft 19 meshes with a pinion 21 attached to a shaft 22 rotated by intermittent operation of a constantly energized electric motor 23.

It is now apparent that, when the constantly energized motor 23 is permitted to operate, the gearing 21, 20, 18, 17, 15, 14 and 9 will rotate the gear wheel 8 and thereby the shaft 3 in the direction of the arrow 24 (Fig. 9), and thereby wind the spring 5. Thus, the spring 5 is kept at proper tension to operate the clock. When this train of gearing is operated to wind the spring 5, the pinion 11 is also rotated, and said pinion 1l rotates the gear wheel 12 about the hub 2. This rotation of the gear wheel 12 screws said gear wheel 12 along the hub 2 until a marginal portion of said gear wheel 12 is pressed closely against a marginal portion of the non-metallic gear wheel 20, causing these two gear wheels to function as a brake or clutch which is effective to stop the motor 23 and prevent further or additional operation of said motor 23 until the gear wheel 12 is moved along the hub 2 a distance sufficient to release the gear wheel 2() and permit said gear wheel to be rotated by the motor. The nonmetallic gear wheel 2O constitutes a silencer for the clutch, and is an embodiment of means to prevent or minimize noise during functioning of thc clutch. The rotation of the hub 2 by the gear wheel 1 effects this movement of the gear wheel 12 away from the gear wheel 20.

The gear wheel 1 meshes with a pinion 25 (Fig. 3) mounted on and frictionally engaging the minute hand shaft 26 and thereby rotates said minute hand shaft under control of the escapement mechanism 27. The shaft 26 may be forced to rotate independently of the pinion 25 in setting the clock.

The escapement mechanism 27 is shown generally in Fig. 1. The escapement mechanism 27 is entrained with the minute hand shaft 26 by a pinion 28 (Figs. 3 and 4) meshing with a gear wheel 29 attached to a shaft 3() having rigid thereon a pinion 3l meshing with a gear wheel 32 rigid on a shaft 33, a pinion 34 on said shaft 33 meshing with a gear wheel 35 attached to the minute hand shaft 26. In this way the escapement device 27 is entrained with the minute hand shaft 26 and controls rotation of said shaft 26 by the gear wheel 1.

A pinion 36 rigid on the minute hand shaft 26 meshes with a gear wheel 37 rotative on a stud shaft 38 and formed rigid with a pinion 39 which meshes with a gear wheel 40 attached to the'hour hand tubular shaft 41 mounted on the shaft 26 for independent rotation about said shaft 26. The ratio of the gearing for rotating the hour hand tubular shaft 41 by the minute hand shaft 26 is the proper ratio for rotating the shaft 41 thirty degrees for each complete revolution or three hundred and sixty degrees rotation of the minute hand shaft 26.

A familiar snail and rack mechanism is shown, the same comprising a snail element 42 (Figs, 1 and 4) attached to the hour hand shaft 41 and cooperating with an arm 43 of a bell crank lever that is mounted on a pivot 44. The other arm 45 of said bell crank lever supports an arcuate rack 46 alternately engaged by the two pins 47 projecting from a head 48 attached to the shaft 49.

A swinging arm 50 (Fig. 1) is mounted on a pivot 51 and has on its lower end a pin 52 adapted to engage with the rack 46 under the influence of a spring 53 actuating said arm to effect such engagement, A pin 54 projects rearwardly from the arm 50 (Fig. 3) and engages an arm 55 swinging from a pivot 56 and formed in rigid connection with another arm 57. The arm 57 supports a pin 58 adapted to engage in notches 59 and 60 formed in a disc 61 attached to the rotary shaft 49 and also adapted to ride upon the periphery of said disc when said arm 57 is raised by operation of the arm by the pin 54.

The shaft 49 supports a gear wheel 62 meshing with a pinion 63 (Fig. 3) attached to a shaft 64. The gear wheel 65 is rigid on the shaft 64 and meshes with a pinion 66 on the shaft 67 rotated by the constantly energized electric motor 68. Accordingly, when the motor 68 is operating said motor will constantly rotate the shaft 49; but, since the motor 68 is permitted to operate only intermittently, although said motor is constantly energized, the shaft 49 will be rotated only intermittently. The times at which the motor 68 will be permitted to operate, and consequently the times at which the shaft 49 will be rotated, are controlled by the time indicating mechanism that is operated by the spring 5; and specifically, these times at which the motor 68 will be permitted to operate and the shaft 49 will be permitted to rotate are controlled by the minute hand shaft 26.

As shown (Figs. 6, 7 and 9) a disc 69 is attached to the shaft 26 and supports two diainetrically opposite pins 76 and 71. An arm 72 swings from a pivot 73 and has an extension 74 engaged alternately and successively at half hour intervals by the pins and 7l and operated thereby to engage and move the pin 54 and thereby swingr the arm 50 to disengage the pin 52 from the rack 46. Since the pin 76 is nearer the center of the disc 69 than the pin 71, it will cause the pin 52 to release only the shoulder 89 of the rack 45, thus causing said rack to fall a short distance until the pin 52 engages the last tooth 46 of the rack. When the striking mechanism is thereafter released it can only operate until the pin 52 is restored under the shoulder 89, permitting the half hour to be struck by a single stroke of the striking mechanism. When the pin 7l engages the extension 74 the arm 50 is moved a distance sufficient to disengage the pin 52 from the rack 46 to permit said rack to drop until the arm 43 engages the snail 42.

An arm 75 (Fig. 6) is pivoted on the shaft 64 and is controlled by a spring 76 wound about said shaft 64 and having one end attached to the arm 75 and the other end attached to the gear wheel 65. Thus the arm 75 may turn relative to and about the shaft 64 to a limited extent because of the cushioning effect of the spring 76. A pin 77 projects laterally from the arm 75 in position to engage the end 78 of the arm 57 when said arm 57 is in its downward position. The arm 57 is in its downward position when the pin 58 is in either of the notches 59 or 60, but when the pin 58 is out of the notches 59 or 60 and is seated on the periphery of the disc 61 the end 78 of said arm 57 is beyond the path of movement of the pin 77, and said arm 75 is rotated by and with the gear 65 through the agency of the spring 76.

The arm 72 is actuated toward the shaft 26 by a spring 79. The arm 72 has on its lower end a y"fiel fes:

" 79, permitting the pin 54 to move away downwardly inclined extension 80 which is moved Vinto the path of movement of the pin 77 by the pins 70 and 7l, respectively, when said respective pins engage the extension 74 and move the arm -72 laterally a distance sufficient to cause the pin 54 to move the arm 55 and thereby raise the pin 56 from either of the notches 59 and 60. Accordingly, it is now clear that when the arm 72 lis moved by either of the pins 70 and 71 a sufficient distance, the arm 57 is raised to disengage the end 78 thereof from the pin 77 and also to disengage the pin 58 from either of the notches 59 and 60. This permits the shaft 64 to be turned Aor rotated by the motor 68 until the pin 77 1s engaged against the inclined extension 80 and is thereby stopped from further movement. Because of the yielding effect of the spring 76, this contact of the pin 77 against the parts 78 and 80 is nearly noiseless, said spring being an effective silencer. This also permits the motor 68 to operate the gearing 66, 65, 63 and 62. Both the gear wheel 62 and the disc 61 are attached to the lshaft 49, which is rotated by the gearing described. The arm 75 is stopped from rotation by vthe pin 77 engaging the extension 89. Accordingly, after a certain extent of rotation of the gear 65, the arm 75 stops and prevents further rotation of said gear 65, thereby stopping the running of the constantly energized motor 68. This also stops rotation of the shaft 49. When the shaft 26 moves the pin 70 or the pin 71 beyond engagement with the extension 74, the arm 72 is moved toward the shaft 26 by the pressure ofthe pin 77 and by the cooperation of the spring from the arm 55 and also permitting the arm 57 to `drop and engage the pin 58 in one of the notches 459 or 60, which places the end 78 of said arm 57 in the path of movement of the pin 77 The constantly energized motor 68 is held from operating when the pin 58 is seated in one of the notches 59 or 60, thereby placing the end 78 of the arm 57 in the path of the pin 77.

The shaft 49 has on its rear end a disc 81 having rearwardly projecting pins 82 and forwardly projecting pins 83. Levers 84 and 85 are mounted on a pivot 86 in position to be engaged and operated in one direction by the pins 82 and 83, respectively. Springs 87 operate said levers in the opposite direction. These levers may be equipped with hammers 88 which may be utilized as strikers to sound chimes or bells.

When the clock is running between operations of the striking or chiming mechanism, the pin 52 (Fig. 1) is engaged under a shoulder 89 at the lower end of the rack 46 and supports the rack 46 in its upper position. The snail 42 is turned with and by the hour hand shaft 41 and the periphery of this snail 42 determines the extent of downward movement of the rack 46 because the periphery of the snail 42 is in position to be engaged by the end of the arm 43, which is rigid with the arm 45. Accordingly, the periphery of the snail 42 limits extent of movement of the arm 43 and also extent of downward movement of the arm 45 and rack 46.

The minute hand shaft 26 supports and rotates the disc 69 (Figs. 6 and 7) thus causing the pins 70 and 71 intermittently and alternately to engage the upper corner portion of the extension 74, and thereby operate the arm 72. The engagement of either pin 70 or 71 with the upper corner portion of the extension is for a brief time only. The direction of rotation of the disc 69 is indicated by the arrow 90 (Figs. 6 and 7). In the 'move the arm 55.

specific arrangement shown, there is" one pin 70 and one pin 71, so that the arm 72 is operated by one or the other of these pins every half hour. Accordingly, the striking or chiming levers 84 and 85 are, in the arrangement shown, operated every half hour. Of course, the number of these pins may be varied so as to operate the arm 72, and cause operation of the striking or chming levers 84 and 85, as often as desired.

When the arm 72 is operated by either of the pins 70 or 7l, said arm 72 engages the pin 54 and thereby moves the arm toward the left, as seen in Fig. l. This leftward movement of the arm 50 disengages the pin 52 from the shoulder 89 and permits the rack 46 to swing or drop downwardly until such downward movement is stopped by engagement of the end of the arm 43 with the periphery of the snail 42.

This movement of the arm 72 by either of the pins or 71 causes the pin 54 to engage and The arm 55 is in connection with the arm 57 and said arm 57 is thereby raised from the position shown in Fig. 6 to the position shown in Fig. 7. This raising of the armk 57 removes the pin 58 from either the notch 59 or kthe notch 60, in whichever it may be engaged',

and raises the end 78 of the arm 57 out of the way of and out of engagement with the vpin 77. The motor 68 then operates to rotate the shaft 49 to a limited extent, until the pin 77 engages against the extension 80, thereby stopping'further rotation of the arm and said shaft 49 and stopping the motor 68. :f

The striking or chiming levers 84 vand 85 are not operated during the slight turning movement of the shaft 49 required to move the pin 77 from the end 78 of the arm 57 to the extension 80. The pin 77 is held by the extension 80 for the short period of time required for the pin 70 or the pin 7l to move beyond engagement with and to release the extension 74.' This abutment of the pin 77 against the extension 80 prevents the shaft 49 from being rotated until the arm 72 is released by movement of the pin 70 or the pin 71 beyond the corner of the extension 74.

When the pin 70 or the pin 71 moves out of engagement with and releases the extension 74, the arm 72 is moved and carries with it the extension from engagement with the pin 77 and permits the motor 68 to operate its gearing and rotate the shaft 49 in the direction of the arrow 91 (Fig. l). The arm 57 is supported and the pin 58 is prevented from dropping into either of the notches 59 or 60 until the shaft 49 has been rotated to the extent necessary to cause the pins 47 to raise the rack 46 to the position in which the shoulder 89 is above the pin 52. At the moment the shoulder 89 passes above the pin 52, the arm 50 is moved to permit the arm 57 to drop and place the pin 58 in one or the other of the notches 59 or 60. This places the end 78 of the arm 57 in front of the pin 77 and the motor 68 is thereby stopped.

Accordingly, the number of the operations of the levers 84 and 85 is determined by the extent to which the shaft 49 may rotate. Extent of rotation of the shaft 49 is determined by the snail 42 and lever 43 and their associated parts which are operated by and under control of the spring 5, and said spring 5 is wound by the motor 23.

It is now clear that my invention comprises a constantly energized motor for winding a main spring which cooperates with a braking or blocking device controlling intermittent operation of the motor. This spring which is energized by the motor disables the braking or blocking device so as to permit the motor to operate intermittently and rewind the spring. The operation of the motor resets the braking or blocking device to prevent overrunning of the motor and overwinding of the spring. My invention also comprises mechanism under control of the mechanism driven by the spring for operating another train of gearing intermittently by positive operation of a constantly energized motor. These mechanisms are all embodied in a unitary machine or device and are so correlated as to prevent disruption of the time relationship. Accordingly, in its broader aspect my improved braking or blocking device for the motor 23 controls the operation of said motor as well as intermittent operation of the motor 68, the timing of the operation of the motor 68 being controlled by mechanism driven by the spring 5. Accordingly, there is an immediate and direct cooperation between all parts of this invention whereby the different mechanisms are properly coordinated.

I claim:

1. Mechanism of the character described comprising a shaft supported for intermittent rotation, a second shaft, gearing for rotating said first shaft by said second shaft, a constantly energized motor for rotating said second shaft and thereby said first shaft, an arm pivoted on said second shaft, means for rotating said arm by said second shaft, an additional arm pivoted apart from both of said shafts for preventing rotation of said first arm and thereby said second shaft, a Vconstantly rotating shaft, members controlled by said constantly rotating shaft for moving said second arm out of position to prevent rotation of said first arm, and a device on said first shaft for supporting said second arm out of position to prevent rotation of said first arm.

2. Mechanism of the character described comprising a shaft supported for intermittent rotation, a second shaft, gearing for rotating said first shaft by said second shaft, a constantly energized motor for rotating said second shaft and thereby said first shaft, an arm pivoted on said second shaft, means for rotating said arm by said second shaft, an additional arm pivoted apart from both of said shafts for preventing rotation of said first arm and thereby said second shaft, a. constantly rotating shaft, members controlled by said constantly rotating shaft for moving said second arm out of position to prevent rotation of said first arm, a device on said first shaft for supporting said second arm out of position to prevent rotation of said first arm, means operated by one of said members to position to stop rotation of said first arm, and a spring for operating said one member to move said means out of said position and to permit rotation of said first arm.

3. Mechanism of the character described comprising a shaft supported for intermittent rotation, a second shaft, gearing for rotating said first shaft by said second shaft, a constantly energized motor for rotating said second shaft and thereby said rst shaft, an arm pivoted on said second shaft, means for rotating said arm by said second shaft, an additional arm pivoted apart from both of said shafts for preventing rotation of said first arm and thereby said second shaft, a constantly rotating shaft, members controlled by said constantly rotating shaft for moving said second arm out of position to prevent rotation of said first arm, a device on said first shaft for supporting said second arm out of position to prevent rotation of said first arm, means operated by one of said members to position to stop rotation of said first arm, a spring for operating said one member to move said means out of said position and to permit rotation of said first arm, and means for causing said second arm to stop rotation of said first arm after a predetermined extent of rotation of said first shaft.

ARNO W. FOWLER. 

